HENOCH, BOOK of. — Name of three different apocrypha (v.), whose protagonist is the patriarch H., distinguished according to the languages that transmitted them in their most complete form (Ethiopic, Slavonic, and Hebrew).
I. “H.” ETHIOPIC. — It is so called because it has been preserved in Ethiopic literature, in the ge'ez language, complete despite the vicissitudes of the double translation (into Greek, and from Greek into Ethiopic) and of manuscript transmission.
J. Bruce brought it to Europe from Abyssinia in 1773 in three copies; the other copies (a little more than 20) date from the seventeenth century onward, except for two or three that are slightly earlier. R. Laurence (Oxford 1858) published its text on the basis of three manuscripts; A. Dillmann (Leipzig 1851) on the basis of five; R. H. Charles (Oxford 1906) on the basis of twenty-three. Based on a Greek version, the Ethiopic version perhaps entered Ethiopia in the fifth or sixth century, through the patriarchate of Alexandria, with the Ethiopic Bible translated from the Septuagint.
The original text was written in Hebrew in some parts and in Aramaic in the more extensive parts (Charles). Of the Greek version (fourth or fifth century), only fragments remain: 6–9, 4; 8, 4–10, 14; 15, 8–16, 1, preserved by G. Syncellus (cf. W. Dindorf, Corpus Script. hist. Byz., I, Bonn 1829, p. 19 ff.); 1–32, a fragment from the eighth century (cf. U. Bouriant, Fragments du texte grec du Livre d'Hénoch [Mémoires miss. arch. franc.], 9, Paris 1892), in contrast with Syncellus, but corresponding to the Ethiopic; 97–107, a fragment from the fifth century (Chester Beatty papyrus). Of the Latin version, only a few lines survive.
An important product of apocryphal apocalyptic literature, H. is not an organic book, but a collection of various writings, differing in character and doctrine, containing ideas concerning the Messiah, judgment, Gehenna, the Kingdom of heaven, and the messianic hopes of the period immediately preceding II. apocalyptic literature (v.), it takes the form of visions and revelations; it exerted broad influence on later apocalyptic writings. The person of H. (the revealer) gives a certain unity to the compilation.
As for its provenance, the text reveals the existence of two earlier apocalyptic cycles: one of H. (about ten writings) and one of Noah (fragmentary): a collection of writings that would have had a distinct existence before being compiled (Lagrange). In fact, one group of documents will gather around the “Elect One” (39, 6; etc.), and another around the “Son of Man” (46, 1–5; 48, 2–7, etc.). Charles also perceives a principle of distinction in the expressions “the angel who was with me” (40, 2; 46, 2, etc.: in the texts concerning the “Son of Man”) and “the angel of peace” (40, 8–10, etc.: in the texts concerning the “Elect One”).
A Christian provenance must be excluded, because the messianic predictions do not go beyond the framework of messianic ideas current among the Jews, apart from a few interpolations. Jewish origin, on the other hand, is demonstrated by the dependence of the title “Son of Man” (v.)
on Daniel (7, 9–27), and would reflect the spiritual situation of Palestinian Judaism in the period of transition to Christianity and rabbinism.
A. Dillmann places the date of the individual writings between 170 and 65 B.C.: amid innumerable evils, orthodox Jews consoled themselves by turning their gaze toward the future and toward the unfailing justice of retribution.
The book contains: 1. Introduction (1–5). — An ancient personage predicts future events, for the punishment of the wicked and the triumph and reward of the just; meteorological elements, as well as human and superhuman beings, according to the ideas of the period, form the setting; the visions and symbols are nothing more than veiled allusions to events that have already occurred. God descends upon Sinai a second time, surrounded by angels, to punish the wicked and bless the just: this is the book’s broad and ideal theme. A better world is envisaged, a renewed Eden and the primitive innocence, although the desire to be united with God (1, 8) is equivalent to being under his Providence (cf. 38, 45; 48).
2. Fall of the angels (6–56). — On the origin of evil. Here the angels are accused of sinning against nature and of having taught humanity the instruments of disorder: idols, the arts, warfare, ornaments, luxury, and so forth. Evil spreads, but in the end does not prevail; the order of inanimate nature will subsequently be restored. Great prominence is given to the universal catastrophe, judgment, the tree of life, and Jerusalem, made the center of everything. F. Martin and M.-J. Lagrange (Le Messianisme chez les Juifs, Paris 1909, V. index) assign the passage to 170 B.C.; Charles dates it before 125.
3. Book of Parables (37–71). — Concerning the advance of the powers of evil and the hopes of Israel, to be realized upon the ruins of the world, the author treats in three visions the central theme focused on a mysterious Individual, called the “Elect One,” “Son of Man,” and “Messiah.”
It is a time of struggle between the power of the flesh and the “Lord of spirits.” The “Elect One,” distinguished from the “elect” (against Messel), is not an angel, because he is chosen to introduce humanity into the Kingdom (39, 6 ff.); he does not preexist, nor is he of earthly existence; he is placed above the angels, but not in a divine sphere (61, 10), and inspires Israel with the prospect of the Kingdom of God; his task is to judge (60, 1, etc.) through the word of the “Lord of spirits” (61, 8 ff.). The “Son of Man” is combined with the Elect One in the function of judge (48, 7) and in the choice (62, 7 ff.); but differs from him because he preexists (48, 3) and because of his earthly career (48, 2–5). The “Messiah,” a Christian addition according to Lagrange, places the “Elect One” on the same level as the “Lord of spirits” (48, 10) and describes him as strong and powerful on earth (70, 4). He stands alongside the divine cause, not as a minister and servant (according to the ideas of Oriental despotism), nor as a viceroy (because God still reigns), but as an Individual appointed to exercise divine justice and who, with reference to Ex. 34, 15 (cf. Is. 63, 8; Mal. 3, 1), represents God very closely.
4. Astronomical Book (72–82). — On the secrets and laws of the stars. Martin is very indulgent in seeing here attempts at scientific construction. What is lacking, instead, is any attentive observation of facts in these remnants of traditions of popular legends.
5. Book of Dreams (83–90). — It represents in symbolic fashion figures and periods of Jewish history, from Adam to Judas Maccabeus. Bulls are the patriarchs; sheep, the Israelites (from Jacob onward); wolves, the Egyptians; boars, the Edomites; lions and tigers, the Assyrians and Chaldeans; ravens, the Syrians; men, the angels. From Judas Maccabeus onward, the ground of history is abandoned: the world has a new center, toward which all nations flock beneath the rod of the new Adam.
6. Book of Exhortation and Curse (91–108); Apocalypse of the Weeks. — Idolatry prevails in the world (99, 7–14, etc.), and there are apostates (99, 2); in bitter tones, the whole of society is threatened (99, 13), in expectation of a formidable judgment with the destruction of all existence and the inauguration of the hereafter (103, 3 ff.).
The nations are not judged for Israel’s benefit; rather, this concerns the great judgment against sinners and the awakening of the just up to the supreme consummation (100, 5), for the encouragement of the just and the conversion of sinners (98, 4). Throughout the entire section, and even more so in the brief Apocalypse of the Weeks (93, 91, 12–12), the period of the religious wars is assumed to have begun with successful results. The supposition that 152 B.C. was the time of composition is plausible.
II. «H.» SLAVO. - Rielabora l'H. etiopico e dipende da un testo greco. È pure chiamato Libro dei segreti di H. Contiene il viaggio di H. per le sette sfere celesti.
Il testo originale semitico sembra elaborato in Palestina prima della distruzione del Tempio. Ebraico o aramaico che fosse quel testo, i traduttori greci ne hanno cavato probabilmente due versioni, la più lunga delle quali, di sapore dottrinario ellenistico, denuncia un autore giudeo-alessandrino.
L'unzione dà ad H. l'aria di Messia: viene, così, ad esercitare la missione del rivelatore sulla terra (22, 8 sgg., testo B), rivelando i segreti del cielo. Torna al cielo per sempre (cap. 64) e toglie i peccati del mondo quasi redentore (Charles e Morfill: «redeemer of the sins of man» [testo A]: cf. nondimeno come poco dianzi il medesimo libro nega espressamente tale dottrina [53, 1: secondo A e B]).
III. «H.» EBRAICO. - Scritto in ebraico dopo la rivoluzione di Bar Kokhèbha, è detto «di rabbi Jisma'ël ben 'Elisa', gran sacerdote». Questi visse nel sec. II d. C.; ma il libro sembra abbia avuto l'ultima redazione sullo scorcio del sec. III.
Il rabbi narra di essere salito al cielo per vedere il trono (marhèbha) di Dio, passando per le sei sfere intermedie, e si imbatte in H. detto Metatron. L'idea dell'ὁ μετὰ Θρόνον (Odeberg, pp. 125-42: «su colui il cui trono è vicino al trono per eccellenza»), non dipende dall'H. etiopico o slavo, ma è un'eco delle controversie sul Grande Assistente.
Il Metatron è inteso vicario di Dio: è nominato dopo del Signore; ha la veste di gloria e il diadema regale,
con impresse le lettere mistiche; è rivelatore della dottrina divina ed intermediario divino nel governo del mondo. Vicino a Dio, ma non Dio; e non è giudice (16, 2).